Empire Issue Preview: The Acolyte, Challengers, Doctor Who, Daisy Ridley, Hit Man, Zack Snyder

Jedi galore. A dark, murderous mystery plot. A Wookiee with a lightsaber. Star Wars is back with a series like no other – get ready for The Acolyte, exploring a brand new era of the galaxy, 100 years before The Phantom Menace. The new issue of Empire takes a world-exclusive deep dive into the show with creator Leslye Headland and her sprawling ensemble cast – and you can pick it up on newsstands from Thursday 11 April.

For now, take a sneak peek inside the issue and see what’s in store…

The Acolyte

An even longer time ago in a galaxy far, far away, there were Jedi everywhere – and an unseen enemy in the shadows. Empire delves into an all new era of Star Wars with The Acolyte creator Leslye Headland, speaking to the likes of Amandla Stenberg, Lee Jung-jae, Carrie-Anne Moss, Dafne Keen, Charlie Barnett, Rebecca Henderson, Joonas Suotamo, Manny Jacinto, and Jodie Turner-Smith about their High Republic mystery.

Challengers

Luca Guadagnino is ready to serve up another ace with his erotically-charged tennis drama. Empire enters into a game of mixed throuples with Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor, volleying back and forth on power dynamics, sexual politics, and courtside action.

Doctor Who

A whole new era of Who is about to begin. Empire steps into the TARDIS with returning showrunner Russell T Davies and incoming Time Lord Ncuti Gatwa, talking first season nerves, the much-anticipated Beatles episode, Ryan Gosling’s Whovian cred, and more.

Daisy Ridley

Post-Star Wars, Daisy Ridley has tapped into a strong current of acclaimed indies. As she prepares to release Young Woman And The Sea, she looks back on her career so far in a major new Empire interview and shoot – talking the power of saying no, her role as a producer, and her upcoming return as Rey.

Hit Man

For their latest collaboration, director Richard Linklater and star (and co-writer) Glen Powell tap into the human condition in a romance-fuelled thriller. In a joint interview, they discuss their creative chemistry, their writing process, and the making of their sharp-shooting new crowd-pleaser.

Zack Snyder

From the DCEU, to his cult comic adaptations, to the genre carnage of Army Of The Dead and Rebel Moon, Zack Snyder never fails to provoke a strong reaction. We posed the filmmaker your questions – on sci-fi, Superman, and… er, Shrek.

Human Traffic At 25

Nice one, bruvva! Justin Kerrigan’s pill-popping time-capsule captured a raver generation with a cast of mad fer it up-and-comers. For its 25th anniversary, we revisit the cult British hit with Kerrigan, Danny Dyer, and John Simm.

First Word

In this month’s news section, we explore the Hollywood boom in hard sci-fi; meet Inside Out 2’s Anxiety, Maya Hawke; talk Benjamin Franklin with Michael Douglas; venture to the Borderlands with director Eli Roth; break down The Crow’s ultra-violent trailer; get into the fallout of Fallout with Walton Goggins; rev up with The Bikeriders director Jeff Nichols; check in one last time on Inside No. 9 with Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton – and much, much more.

Final Cut

In the home entertainment section, we talk The Dreamers and The Three Musketeers with Eva Green; break down the beats of Spaceman with director Johan Renck; give Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven the masterpiece treatment; rank the movies of Leonardo DiCaprio, and plenty more.

Reviews

Reviewed in this issue, you’ll find the likes of Alex Garland’s all-guns-blazing Civil War; Rose Glass’s bodybuilding thriller Love Lies Bleeding; Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt’s all-action romcom The Fall Guy; Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black; Daisy Ridley’s doom-laden drama Sometimes I Think About Dying; and many more.